Process of treating hydrocarbon oils



July 17, 1923.

L H. MANNING PROCESS OF TREATING HYDROCARBON OILS EH10: news L. H. MANNING PROCESS OF TREATING HYDROCARBON OILS July 17, 1923 Filed April 16. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 17, 1923.

unit's eras a LEVI H. MANNING, 0F TUCSON, ARIZONA.

PROCESS OF TREATING HYDROCARBON OILS.

Application filed April 16, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Lion H. MANNING, a citizen of the United States, residing'at Tucson, in the county of Pima and State of ferent materials, and in particular the pr oc- 'ess relates to details of operzftion by which low boiling hydrocarbon oils are formed from relatively high boiling petroleum oils.

The features of invention include details of a process of cracking petroleum 0118 .which makes it possible to treat liquid oil to obtaidlighter products without the usual trouble resulting from carbon deposits.

I One particular feature provides for the treat-me t of liquid oil in such a wayithat carbon and heavy material is moved to points of relative quiet for removal, while the' other portions of a. mass of liquid oil are subjected to a pulsating agitating movement within prescribed limits, as contrasted to a flowing movement, and at the same time that the portion undergoing; agitation is subjected to a heat treatment. This feature also provides that no heat shall be applied to the portions not undergoing agitation nor to that part ,of the mass of oil which is relatively quiet.

The invention provides also for the continuous operation of the process and for the continuous introduction of untreated material and continuous withdrawal of material treated and produced. The process contemplates the use of positive cracking temperatures of at least 700i F., and pressures above atmospheric pressure.

The details which make possible the particular movements of the material treated and the particular heat treatment.applied to particular portions of the material are intimately related and interdependent on apparatus which is described and claimed in the companion application Serial No. 461.- 995. Details of this apparatus provide for the use of particular elliptica-lly shaped discs or vanesQmountedQ on a rotary shaft and arrangedto revolyetherewith within a tubular still whiclrhas a pore approximated} thatof the shorter diameter of the vanes. These peculiarlyshaped vanes and their-mounting oh the shaft make possible I masonry construction,

Serial No. 461,994.

the pulsating movementof the oil and also provide for the agitating movement in situ of cleaner members located between the vanes and propelled thereby.

In order that the process may be understood there is hereafter presented-a description of the apparatus which has served to adequately perform the. mechanical operations required. The above mentioned features of the process and additional features are described and .claimed in the accompanying specification and claims, and the apparatus which serves to perform the steps of the process is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in Which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus showingthe relative position of the parts and indicating in dotted lines the relation of the furnace structure and heating means to the other portions of the apparatus;

Figure 2 is anenlarged View of one of the retort tubes, partly broken away and partly in section, showing the mounting of the vanes within the cracking tube-and between the downwardly projecting pipes for the removal of solid material;-

Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the side. of one of the elliptical agitator scraper vanes;

Figure 4 is a front view taken axially of the vane shown in Figure 3; a

Figure 5 is a view of the rotatable shaft removed from one of the treatment tubes and showing the splines which .are adapted to engage the keyway of the vanes; and

Figure 6 is a view of the vane shown in Figure 4 taken at right angles to the plane of the vane, and showing the elliptical eontour of the periphery of the vanes.

Like reference characters indicate like parts in the various figures of the drawings.

Referring in detail tothe construction illustrated in the drawings, 1 represents the either concrete, stone or brick, but preferably tire-brick, such as will stand severe temperatures. A suitable stack is provided for leading 0d the furnace fumes, smoke, and gases of combustion. A source of. heat is provided by burners, not shown,- located at the lower art of the furnace and supplied with liquid fuel-by pipes 3 communicating with the point of removal of waste oil from the apparatus, as will be described. Individual branch are coimected with the burner supp y pipes ipes 3 regulating the use of either one of 3 and are provided with independent valves 3" for regulating the supply of burning oil to the burners. An additional valve 3 is located in the pipe 3 and may be used for two burners and the connection between such burners and the branch pipes 3. The

flames and hot gases from the burner nozzles are projected inwardly and passed upwardly i the furnace tov ultimately escape through t e stack 2. During the upward movement,

the heat comes into direct contact with the operated. Within the tubes 1' and 5 are the combined agitator scraper vanes or discs 4 and 5, mounted on and adapted to turn with their respective shafts and 5 respectively. Suitable journal boxes or stuff -ing boxes are indicated for the respective shafts at 1 and 5.

The details of the construction and shape of the vanes constitute an important feature of the present invention. Referring particularly to Figures 2, 3, 1 and 5, it will be noted that each vane is mounted .on the shaft at an angle to the shaft and that each substantially fills the bore of the cylindrical tube. Each vane is elliptical in shape and has substantially the same shape as that of an inclined section taken through the cylindrical tube within which it is mounted. Thus in Figure 6 there is shown the exact relative dimensions of the vane, and in Figure 4- the longer .dimension is shortened, because the view is taken axially instead of at right angles as in Figure 6. Each vane has a. hub portion 4? having rightlangle shoulders i which are adapted to engage corresponding shoulders on adjacent vanes when the apparatus is in ing tube 6 its assembled form. The shaft 4 is provided with longitudinally extending splines if adapted to engage the keyway slot or groove 4!" provided in the axial opening of the vanes. Each vane is also provided with a plurality of perforations ei through which oil may be forced during the operation of the apparatus, as will be described.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2,6 indicates a commin'iicating tube extending from the retort tube 1 to the retort tube 5 and located at the left side of the structure adjacent the ends of the tubes. A similar communicatis provided adjacent the opposite ends of the tube. It will be observed 4 that the a itating scra )er vanes are not 0 sitioned opposite the communicating tubes 6 and 6*. At the left hand end of the lower neeaoes tube 5 is a draw off pipe 7 for removing carbon and relatively heavy material which may be'formed during the operation of the apparatus. A similar draw ofi' pipe 7 is provided at'the opposite end of the lower tube 5. Valves 8 and 8 are provided on the respective pipes 7 and 7. The operation provides for the use of the heavy material which is withdrawn forfuel in the burners beneath the apparatus and to this end a pipe 9 is connected to the pipes 7 and 7 and conducts this fuel material to the burner supply pipe 3 and its branch pipe 3. Valves 9 are provided for regulating the admission of waste material from the pipes 7 and 7? to the pipe 9. v

At the top of the system of cracking tubes and above the furnace 1 is positioned a large reservoir or expansion chamber 10'which communicates with the top of each end of the upper cracking tube {1' by means of the pipes 11 and 11 leading from the lower side and opposite ends of the chamber 10. A series of test drain pipes provided with suitable valves are indicated at 10 at differentelevations on the chamber "to determine the height of oil therein and the nature of theoil at different heights. Additional means for determining the height of oil within the chamber is indicated at 10 in which a float,

shown in dotted lines, within the chamber operates an indicating arrow on the outside of the chamber by means of a connecting lever. Oil is conducted from an oil tank or other suitable source of supply, not shown,

through the pipe 12 to a pump 13 which is adapted to force the oil against the pressure within the apparatus upwardly through the pipe 14, past the valve 15 and through the pipe 15 to the top of the expansion chamber 10, or directly into the 'communieating pipe 6 bybeing led into the pipe 16 past the valve 16. Operation of the valves 15 and 16 will regulate the point and volume of the flowof untreated fresh oil through either one or both of. the pipes 15 and 16, respectively. Immediately above the expansion chamber 10 are the upwardly extending vapor removing pipes 17, 17 and 17 which are connected to the pipe 18 by means of a regulating valve 18, and all materials in an aeriform condition are led through the pipe 18 to a condenser. not shown. An additional pipe connection is indicated at 19 on the upper side, of the expansion chamber 10 and may se'rveto connect the apparatus to any suitable reflux condenser, not shown.

Drive means for driving the shafts e" and 5 is provided by a main drive belt 20 connected to any suitable source of power, not shown, and which passes over a pulley wheel 21 which is mounted to turn a shaft 22; A bevel gear 23 is mounted to rotate with the shaft 22 and is in mesh with a similar larger bevel gear 24; mounted on a shaft 25 which latter is illustrated as substantially parallel to the retort tubes a and 5. A gear 26 is fixed to turn with the shaft and is in mesh with the gears 4 and 5 which are respectively fixed to rotate with the shafts 4 and 5".

Within the retort tubes and. positioned between the parallel blades of the coin bined agitator and scraper vanes are metal balls 27 which remain in the retort tubes in their respective positions between the vanes and ar move back and forth in these fixed restricted locations during the rotation of the vanes. Thus the balls have a movement in situ and "are free tov roll and tumble within prescribed limits, namely between" adjacent vanes.

In the revolutionof the shafts 4. and 5 the. movement of the vanes performs a function which is peculiar to the present invention. Referring particularly to the view in Figure 2, it will be noted that the space between A and D is scraped by the vane connected by lines from these letters. Likewise, it will be noted that the lines from the lettersB and D dropped from the v extreme upper tips of the vanes which are adjacent pass through substantially the centerpoint of the vane next to the right, and that a line taken upwardly as from C from the lower tip of one vane is spaced slightly from the line taken from B and does not touch the upper tip of the second vane to the left, and barely misses this second vane. In. a single rev \ution of the shaft 4" or 5? with their respective vanes, that portion of the cylindrical inner wall of the cracking tubes within the space be tween the lines AB and C--D is scraped four times. and the portion between the lines B and C and the portion opposite the extreme tipof the vanes is scraped twice. This is made possible by the inclined overlapped position of the vanes. their close parallel relation, and their particular elliptical shape. This multiple scraping action may be understood better by observing that the portions between A and B and between t" and l) are engaged once by each of the two opposite sides of the vane, as for instance the points X and Y on the vane shown in Figure 6. and also bythe corresponding points on the opposite end of the vane next to the right. which opposite end is shown in Figure 2- as underlying the i points X and Y.

The operation of the .nioveu'ient of oil into and out of the apparatus, and the treatment of the fresh material within the retort cylinder tubes may be understood from the following; description. Oil is introduced through the pipcs15 or 16 in. sufiicient quantity to have the retort tube in the furnace preferably full of oil, and preferably the oil is in sufiicient quantity to substantially hall fill the expansion chamber 10, which latter also serves as a reservoir. During the operation of the apparatus and the process which would be performed thereby, oil flows downward through the pipes ll and 11 and into the treatment tubes 4 and 5. the agitating scraper vanes causes a pulsating movement of the oil back and forth and is to'be contrasted to a conveyor action. It will be noted that the ends of the retort tubes are not provided with agitator scraper vanes and that these vanes do not extend over the openings of pipes 6 and 6f, and 7 and 7. but are positioned between such points. There is. therefore, a region of relative quiet in the oil at these points such as will permit the settling out of carbon and relatively heavy material formed during the retort and cracking treatment. At the same time it has been found that the agitation of the oil during the revolution o'f the vanes serves to' keep any carbon formed in suspension in the oil, and to pass such relatively solid material to points of relative quiet, that. is to the ends of the tubes and to points adjacent the withdrawal pipes 6 and 6. and 7 and 7*, down through which pipe openings the carbon and solid material is permitted to gravitate to ultimately be withdrawn for use as fuel in the apparatus or for other treatment. It will be observed that the operation provides anunusually eflicient scraping action without requiring an conveying action of the oil through the treatment tubes. and this combined agitation and scraping movement is believed to be one explanation of the unusually satisfactory results which the invention has made possible. The openings in the agitator scraper vanes permit the escape of portions of the oil endwise in the tubes. and this 'may explain the performance by which the carbon is permitted to escape with the oil to the space at the ends oi the tubes and to settle. at these points of rela tivc quiet. The presence. oi the balls. pref erably steel balls. 27 assists in cutting car bon ioruuiiious from the interior or the cylinder walls and also from the surface of the agitator scraper vanes. The combined action of the agitator is thus to scrape the interior of the tube walls and also to serve the function oi keeping the carbon and heavy material in suspension until it reaches the points of rest and relative quiet in the region of the outlet pipes.

The continuous operation provides for the constant rcn'ioval of ucri'i'orm material from the upper side of the expansion chamber and dischargcT'in such material through the pipe 18 to a condenser. and during this moven'ien't a continuous withdrawal of carbon and heavy material which constantly settles in the The revolution of region of quiet above the,ends of the withdrawal pipes 7 and 7. The rate of with drawal of aeriform material and of waste material, and the rate of introduction ot' heat treated oil is dependent on the size of the apparatus and the relative production ducted in a plant having a construction simi the relatively heavy material without in--- ilar to that illustrated in the drawings in which plant the retort tubes wereten feet. long and the bore of which was approximately six inches. The vanes substantially filled this bore and had a close fitting engagement with the tube walls which was suflicient to provide a positive scraping action, but not sufiicient to bind the vanes and hinder the revolution of the shaft. In this operation the shafts with the agitating scraper. members were revolved. at speeds ranging up to seventy-five rev'gi'lutions per minute, and the oil treated was thus subjected to'a-very severe agitation. The in; vention provides for crackin and the production oflight materials from relatively heavy, and has operated satisfactorily at temperaturesrangin from 700 F. upward in treating California oils of various qualities. By providing for the application of heat to'those portions only where there was a scraping and agitating action it has been possible to permit the settling action of "curring carbon formation in the region of such settling.

I claim 1. The process of treating hydrocarbon oils which process comprises subjecting the oil to be treated to a continuous agitatin movement within a normally stationary' an. closed chamber and to contact with freely movable metallic elements propelled within prescribed limits in said chamber, and subjecting said oil while in said chamber to a heat treatment applied to the exterior of the chamber. f

2. The process of treating hydrocarbon oils which process comprises subjecting the oil to he treated to a continuous agitating movement within a closed tubular chamber, causing an agitator member within said chamber to move said oil and propel -freely movable metallic balls within prescribed limits in contact with said oil, and subjecting said oil while in said chamber to a ieat treatment applied to the exterior of the chamber.

3. The process of treating hydrocarbon oils which process'comprises subjecting the oil to be treated to a continuous agitatinmovement within a normally stationary and mes es closed chamber and to contact with freel -movab1e non-absorbent elements having big 1 bcr, applying heat to a portion of the length.

of said chamber but not to another portion, subjecting said oil within said chamber at that portion only to which heat is applied to a positive agitating: movement during the heat treatment, continuously causing carbon formed in the heated portion to be removed from the heated portion and to be passcdto the unheated portion and out of the rcgiou of agitation, and withdrawing the carbon and relatively heavy material resultant of the heat treatment from the unheated portion of said chamber.

'5. The process of treati ng hydrocarbon oils which process comprises introducing oil to be treated into a closed substantially horizontal elongated tubular treatment chain her, applying heat to a portion or" the length of said chamber but not to another portion, subjecting said oil within said chamber atthat portion only to which heat is applied to a positive pulsating agitating movement which causes the liquid to take a inovement in situ' and causes the carbon and/solid par-- ticlcs to be passed to relativel quiet and unheated portions of said oil, and withdraw-- ing the carbon and relatively l} ayy mate-- rial resultant of the heat treat] eat from the unheated portion of said cha nber.

6. The process of treating hydrocarbon oils which process comprises introducing oil to be treated into a closed substantially horizontal elongated tubular treatment chamber, applying heat to a portion of the length of said chamber, subjecting said oil within said chamber to a positive agitating movement applied to only a portion of the oil in the length of said chamber, continuously cans-- ing carbon formed during the heat-treatment to be passed to the part of said chem her containing oil not directly subjected to agitation continuously permitting the car" bon to settle to a level below the level of the heated portion of the chamber, and with drawing the carbon and relativeiy heavy material thus segregated.

7. The process of treating hydrocarbon oils which process comprisesintroducing oil to be treated into a closed substantially hori zontal elongated tubular treatment share her, applying heat to a portion of the lien flth of said chamber, subjecting said oil Wit in said chamber to a positive pulsating agitating movement applied to only a portion oil the oil in the. length of said chamber, which movement causes the liquid to take a pulsating movement in situ and causes the carbon and solid particles to be passed to relatively quiet portionsof the oil in said chamber, and withdrawing vthe carbon and solid particles thus segregated.

8. The process of producing hydrocarbon oils having low boiling points from hydrocarbon oils having high boiling points which process comprises subjecting the oil to be treated to a continuous agitating movement within a normally stationary and closed chamber and to contact with freely movable metallic elements propelled within prescribed limits in said chamber, and subjecting said oil while in said Clltblbel to a tem perature of at least 700 FAQ. pplied to the exterior of the chamber. l

9. The process of producing hydrocarbon oils having low bo ling points from hydrocarbon oils having high boiling points which process comprises subjecting the oil to be treated to a continuous agitating movement within a closed tubular chamber, causing an agitator member within said chamber to move said oil and propel freely movable metallic balls within prescribed limits in contact with said oil, and subjecting said oil while in said chamber to a heat treatment ofat least 700 F. applied to the exterior of the chamber.

10. The process of producing hydrocarbon oils having low boiling points from hydrocarbon oils having high boiling points which process comprises subjecting the oil to be treated to a continuous agitating movement within a normally stationary and closed chamber and to contact with freely movable non-absorbent elements having high heat conductivity propelled Within prescribed limits in said chamber, and subjecting said oil and freely movable elements while in said chamber to a heat treatment of at least 700 F. applied to the exterior of the chamber.

11. The process of producing hydrocarbon oils having low boiling points from hydro-' carbon oils having high boiling points which process comprisessubjecting the oil to be treated to a pulsating agitating movement lengthwise within a closed tubular container, and subjecting said oil to a heat treatment of at least 700 F. applied directly to the exterior of said container.

12. The process of producing hydrocarbon oils having low boiling points from bydrocarbon oils having high boiling points which process comprises intmducing oil to be treated into a closed substantially hori zontal elongated tubular treatment chamber, applying heat to a portion of the length of said chamber but not to another portion thereof sufiicient to heat the oil content of the chamber to at least 700 F., subjecting the carbon to settle to a level below the level of the heated portion of the chamber.

13. ,The process of producing hydrocarbon oils having low boiling points from hydrocarbon oils having high boiling points which process comprises introducing oil to be treated into a closed substantially horizontal elongated tubular treatment chamber, applying heat to a portion of the length of said chamber but not to another portion thereof sufiicient to heat the oil content of the chamber to at least 700 F., subjecting said oil within said chamber at that portion only to which heat is applied to a positive pulsating agitating movement which causes the liquid to take a movement in situ and causes the carbon and solid particles to be passed to relatively quiet and unheated portions of said oil, and withdrawin the carbon and relatively heavy materia resultant of the heat treatment from the unheated portion of said chamber.

14. The process of producing'h drocarbon oils having low boiling points rom hydrocarbon oils having high boiling points which process comprises introducing oilto be treated into a closed substantially hori zontal elongated tubular treatnfmit chamber applying heat to a portion of the length of said chamber, the temperature of said heat treatment being sutiicient to raise the oil within the chamber to a temperature of at least 700 F subjecting said oil within said chamber to a positive agitating movement applied to only a portion of the oil in the length of said chamber, continuously causing carbon formed during the heat treatment to be passed to the part of said cham* ber cc "taining oil not directly subjected to agitatica, continuously permitting the carbon to settle to a level below the level of the heated. portion of the chamber and withdrawing the carbon and relatively heavy material thus segregated.

I 15. The process of producing hydrocarbon oils having low boiling points from hydrocarbon oils having high boiling points which process comprises introducing oil to be treated into a closed substantially horizontal elongated tubular treatment chamber, applying heat to a portion of the length of said chamber, the temperature of said heat treatment being suflicient to raise the oil within the chamber to a temperature of at least 70 F., subjecting said oil within said ch m'ner to a positive pulsating-agitating n1 ment-applied to on y a portion of the oil in the length of'said chamber, which movement causes the liquid to take a pulsatintroducing oil to be treated into a closed containcn continuously subjecting the oil material thus introduced to a pulsating agitating movement within said container and in the direction of the path of flow from the inlet to the outlet, applying heat'to the exterior of a portion only of said container, and continuously withdrawing aeriform material from the top of said container and continuously withdrawing carbon and relatively heavy material from the lower side of said container.

17. The process of treating hydrocarbon oils which process comprises continuously introducing oil to be treated into a closed tubular container, continuously subjecting the oil material thus introduced to a pulsating agitating movement lengthwise within said container and to a continuous scraping movement on the inner surface of the walls of the container, applying heat directly to the exterior of that portion of the container which is scraped on the inside, continuously pcrmittingthe carbon to settle to alevel below the level of the heated portion of the chamber and continuously withdrawing aeriform material from the topof said container and continuously withdrawing carbon introducing oil to be treated into a closed container, continuously subjecting the" oil material to a travelling movement through the container and at the same time subject ing said oil material while in its travelling movement to a pulsating agitating move ment and in the direction ofthe path of flow from the inlet to the outlet, applying heat to that portion of the container within which the agitating movement takes place, and continuously withdrawing carbon and relatively heavy material from the lower side of said container.

LEVI H. MAN ING. 

